Helen Keller

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. She was very wild and untamed. On February 1882, when Helen was almost one, she suddenly became ill, she had scarlet fever, and, as a result, Helen became blind-deaf. Her parents were concerned and wanted someone to teach Helen to read, write, and speak. So they hired Annie Sullivan. Annie was a teacher that taught people braille, and for blind-deaf people, how to communicate. Annie taught Helen to read and write, braille. Over the years Helen's hand writing changed. Helen loved to read and referred to her books as her best friends.

Helen was pretty and looked like Hallie Kate Eisenberg, which is a teen celebrity today. She had curly brown hair and brown eyes. She was very bright and fast learning but sometimes wild, that is until her teen years. These are some of the ways Helen was a heroine.

Helen always wanted to go to college, but at first she had to go to the Cambridge School for Young Ladies in Boston, to pass the college test at Radcliffe college. Helen spent two years at Cambridge, then she passed the test and entered Radcliffe College (a part of Harvard but for women ).Helen inspired people who are blind , deaf ,or both to get up and fulfill their dreams and if they wanted to, to go to college . Helen's jobs throughout her life were a writer, public speaker, movie actress, and a vaudeville performer.

Helen went all over the world giving lectures and news about her life and how she survived in the world. She received The Sacred Treasure award from Japan, Brazil's Southern Cross, and The Philippines Golden Heart. Helen and Annie visited 123 cities; they (Helen and Annie) spoke to more than a quarter of a million people and raised more than $1,000,000 which went to the American Foundation for the Blind. On October 15, 1936, sadly Annie died. Helen was holding her hand, while Annie slowly passed away. Even though people said Helen could not live without Annie, with Polly as her guide (a secretary for Annie and Helen) Helen lived thirty-two more years after Annie died.

The American Foundation for the Blind gave Polly and Helen a house in Easton, Connecticut. She lived there until she died sadly yet gracefully on June 1, 1968 which was unfortunate because it was 26 days before her birthday. Helen was missed by all and still today she stands as a great, brave, person with a lot of courage who did good deeds for everyone with a loving caring heart.

I picked Helen Keller for my hero/heroine project because I heard about her on a T.V show called “Miracle Worker” and I just wanted to learn more about her and how she lived and communicated in this world. I would have loved to meet her but some things just don’t happen the way you want them to. Helen Keller lived for 88 years. She inspired many people and she even went through World War 1 and 2. If Helen, a blind-deaf person, can survive in this harsh world then so can the people that are only blind, or only deaf. Helen will always stand in America as a great person and most of all a great American Woman.